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HW 50955 Docld: 32264993

JFK Assassination System
Identification Form

Agency Information

HSCA
180-10113-10119

NUMBERED FILES
003362

Document Information

-HSCA

ORR, PATRICIA

08/05/1977
7

CIA
MEXICO CITY
HUNT, E. HOWARD

MEMORANDUM
Unclassified

1A; 1B

Redact.
01/01/2003

CIA 77-4. Box 77,

Page 1

Date:

10/1/201

MEMORANDUM

8/5/77
TO: JH, KK | @g2362
FROM: PMO

RE: CIA Station in Mexico City

Attached find a list of individuals known to have been
connected with the CIA station in Mexico City during

Lee Harvey Oswald's visit.

This information has been gleaned mainly from the

executive session testimony of David Phillips, ex-CIA >
agent who had been in charge of Cuban Affairs for the |
CIA in Mexico City. Other information comes from staff
interviews with a witness, Boris Tarasoff, formerly

with the intercept unit of the CIA station.

It has been suggested that E. Howard Hunt may have been
involved in CIA activities in Mexico City and specifically
with the visit of Lee Harvey Oswald. Many. critics

cite the fact that the CIA Station Chief has never been

identified publicly.as a basis for speculation that Hunt 3

"possibly held that position. This, however, would,

conflict with information from Phillips that the Station

Chief: was named Winston Scott, now deceased.

This does not preclude the possibility that Hunt held
Sek ege thle. ol thi. uavacia:

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MEMO 8/5/77 pg. 2

another position at the station, but Tarasoff
was shown photographs of E. Howard Hunt which he could

not identify.nor did he recognize the name.from CIA-Mexico City.

I will also be forwarding an organizational chart of
: the CIA station as best I can make it out with the

information known presently.

‘

HW 50955 Docld:32264993 Page 3

~l-

MEXICO CITY -- CIA

A review of notes taken from interviews with David
Phillips indicates that there are a several areas
which our witness may be questioned about.

Organization & Personnel
Personnel in Mexico City Station:

David Phillips:
In 1963 Phillips was in charge of Cuban affairs
for the CIA in Mexico City. As such, he was
responsible for the monitoring of the Cuban
Embassy.

He was in Mexico City from September 1961
to early 1965, succeeding Tom Hazlett.

He originally comes from Ft. Worth and joined the
CIA in 1950.

He recalls the Oswald tape as an ‘intercept: between
the Soviet and Cuban embassies. Herbert Manel, head
of Russian affairs at Mexico City Station would
have been primarily responsible for information
derived from this intercept.

Phillips was never in the intercept unit, which
was staffed mainly by Mexican nationals.

His immediate superior was Warren Dean, but he
answered to Winston Scott.

Winston Scott:
Station Chief for the Mexico City CIA Station in 1963.
Supervisor for Phillips in practice, although the
deputy Chief of Station would normally have been
the person to whom Phillips was to report.

Scott was known for his almost photographic memory

and a strong personality. He did not like to delegate “oO.
authority. —
Scott was the person who made final determination

as to whether information coming in over an

intercept was to be forwarded to Washington or not.

Scott is now deceased. He died of a heart attack
around 1972. His name was not previously known publicly.

Warren Dean:
Deputy Station Chief under Scott in Mexico City.
Phillips was not sure whether it was Dean or Allen
White who held this office at the time of Oswald's
visit, but he feels fairly positive that it was
Dean.

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MEXICO CITY -- CIA

Dean (cont'd):
Phillips reported -to’ Scott .even -though Dean was
next man up the hierarchy.

Phillips believes he is retired and lives in ‘the
Washington area.

Allen White: ’
Succeeded Dean as Deputy Stattion Chief; Phillips
worked under him for a time.

Phillips believes he is retired and resides in
the Washington area.

Joe Picolo:
CIA officer under Phillips.

Robert Shaw:
CIA officer under Philips.

Eventually Shaw and Phillips had the’ "whole assignment"
in Mexico City.

Two CIA operatives working inside the Cuban Embassy
reported to Shaw. One worked for: the administrative
area: one worked in the diplomatic area.

Phillips believed Shaw is living in the Washington
area and is still with the CIA.

George Monroe:
Phillips named him as the senior man in charge
of the interception of telephone conversations
of the Cuban Embassy's offices.

He would have been responsible for "dozen" or: so
involved in the intercept unit outside CIA head-
. quarters.

Monroe came to the CIA from the FBI and had been with
the CIA for 3 or 4. years at the time of the Oswald
visit.

Phillips believes Monroe is still in Mexico today.

Ann Goodpasture:
Phillips mentions her as the person responsible
for transporting the tapes from the intercept
unit to CIA offices and back again.

Tt':is unclear whether she brought back tapes or
transcripts of the conversations from the Russian
Embassy. It appears that she brought back transcripts

ra

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MEXICO CITY -- CIA

Goodpasture (cont'd):
in Spanish, ie. translations were done at the intercept
unit when the language was Spanish. The tapes
that were in Russian were brought back to CIA head-
quarters in all likelihood. (From Phillips' testimony,
it appears that the Russian translator for the CIA
was based in the Embassy where CIA headquarters were.)
Goodpasture transported the tapes’ and transcripts in
suitcases. She was notified if tape:wasiinteresting “or not.

Phillips believes that Goodpasture is retired and
residing in Dallas, Texas.

Raymond Swider:
Also assigned to Phillips, replacing Joe Picolo.

Phillips believed Swider presently works in the
Washington headquarters of the CIA.

George Misco: (phonetic)
Although Phillips was somewhat shakey about facts
with respect to Misco, he was able to tell us that
Misco was the Russian translator for the CIA. and
that his office was most likely in CIA headquarters
rather than the Soviet intercept unit outside.

Phillips claims that Misco was not in Mexico City
at the time of Oswald's visit.

Herbert Manel:
CiA officer in charge of the assignment.for Russian
affairs, and as such was Phillips’ counterpart at
CIA station.

Manel worked with his wife, Babara, on this assignment.

Manel and his wife later worked with Phillips when
they were all assigned to Caracas, Venezuela.

Phillips maintained that it would have been Manel's _

7 “Fesponsibility ‘to decide where the inforation _
contained in the Oswald intercept was to go and whether:
the intercept should be kept for any reason. Win

Scott, though, would have ultimate responsibility.

Phillips did no know of the Manel's whereabouts
today. ‘

Clark Anderson:
Local FBI agent in Mexico City, who would routinely
receive petinent’ information from the CIA.

His title was Legal Attache at the American Embassy.

He is identified in the Church report only as "Legat"

Since he was the highest ranking BI official in Mexico,
HW 50055 pocta: 32264099: SRGeipvestigation there was under his direction.

* . ° " ~ » ENG Hu
~ MEXICO CITY -- CIA wu od ae

Anderson (cont'd):
Anderson worked with Phillips in the Dominican
Republic in 1965.

He is presently retired and residing in San Antonio,
Texas. ;

Desmond Fitzgerald:
Chief of CIA operations in Washington CIA headquarters,
who originally recommended ’.Phillips to: the Mexico City Job.

(Fitzgerald is mentioned in the Church report as

one of the CIA agents involved with plots against
Catro's life. The.Church report names him as "the
senior CIA officer charged with responsibility for
Cuban affairs." He had a meeting with AMLASH on
October 29, 1963 for.a. policy discussion, informing
AMLASH that the U.S. was prepared to provide support
for a Cuban uprising only after a real coup had.

; been effected.)

Fitzgerald is now deceased.

Barabara Manel:
Wife of Herbert Manel; worked ‘with him at Soviet
Affairs desk, assisting him in the work. She would
prepare the reports to headquarters, etc. and he
would sign them.

- She had previously resigned from another staff
employee position at the CIA, but was hired again
on apart-time basis for her knowledge or Russian
and her experience in.Soviet matters.

Benjamin Pepper:
Worked under Herbert Manel.

Concerned with other matters related to Soviet
affairs, such as Eastern European affairs.

HY 50955 Docld: 32264993 Page 7

of aL
- MEXICO CITY -- CIA

Personnel:

From.other sources, namely, through information garnered
by our own investigation, we are also aware of others
involved with CIA Mexico City Station.in 1963.

Mr. and Mrs. Boris Tarasoff:
As one of the CIA's husband-and-wife teams, the
Tarasoff's, had the job of translating and transcribing
conversations in the Russian language going in
and out of the Soviet Embassy by telephone.

They were experts in voice identification using such
aids as newspaper clippings and other miscellaneous
informations about different individuals to help
determine geographic origins, etc. about persons
whose conversations were being tapped.

The Tarasoffs were directly involed in the translation
and transcription of the Oswald conversation, although
the specifics have become dim in Mr. Tarasoff's
memory.

Tarasof£ succeeded George Misko.

Tarasoff was never questioned by any investigative
agency about the Oswald conversations.

Boris Tarasoff thought the conversation was most
likely between Kanstaninov and Oswald and did not
involve Kostikov or Yatskov. Tarasoff knew no one
by the name of Kostin. |
Tarasoff presently resides in Guadalajara, Mexico.
William Bright:
Identified by Tarasoff as CIA "contact" between
the station and the translators. ..It is not clear
whether Tarasoff was in the station or in a separate
intercepting unit, but it appears that he was
puobably outside the station.

Bright seemed especially interested when the second
call between Oswald and the Soviet Embassy was
intercepted and Oswald identified.

Robert Zambernardi:
Identified by Tarasoff as the photographic expert
at the Mexico City station.at..least from September
1963 to November 1963.

Charles Flick:

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q
EG6PICGE PLIGG ccée0g ane

6 sheg

WASHINGTON! —

CHIEF OF, OPERA'TIONS
SPECIAL ‘AFFAIRS ="

‘(Desmond Fitzgerald)

Joe. Picdlo’- assisted
Phillips; rieplaced
by Ray Swidier

Robert Shaw ~} oversaw
Cuban opera:tives

CUBAN EMBASSY

MEXICO CITY -- CIA

ORGANIZATION

' a

The CIA Station was housed at the U.S. Embassy. We have been -

able to identify several CEA positions from various |
descriptions. May I suggest the following skeletal
framework as‘a possible picture of the CIA's organizational
chart for September-October 1963.
, MEXICO

STATION CHIEF
(Winston Scott)

Overall responsibility
for CIA activities in
Mexico.

DEPUTY
STATION CHIEF
(Warren Déan,
later Allen White)

RUSSTAN AFFAIRS _
(Herbert Manel):” 1

CUBAN AFFAIRS . REPORTS OFFICER

(David Phillips) ; &
| ASSISTANT

INTERCEPT UNIT

_ LMCONTACT
(George Monroe) a

CONTACT

: 7 | Ann Goodpasture, _ | Bill Bright
2 CIA operatives: on'e _

in the diplomatic section,

one in the administrative
section.

‘ Boris: Tarasofft
Mrs... Tarasoff

Robert: Zambernardi
(photo expert)

aa George Misko (before 10/63

ORR 8/5/77 7
AMERICAN EMBASSY

- AMBASSADOR

~-_LEGAL ATTACHE

(Clark Anderson) FBI
Te Legat"

Barabara Manel - Soviet

. ‘vaffairs;sassists H. Manel
Benjamin Pepper - Eastern
‘"Rurtopéean’affairs

(Russian translations, transcriptions)

